Health
Ozempic: Stephen Dixon reveals he was left gobsmacked with fat-loss drug: ‘Everyone is on it’
GB News presenter Stephen Dixon has expressed his astonishment at discovering weight-loss drug advertisements during a recent pharmacy visit.
The government is preparing to dramatically expand access to weight-loss medications through a new scheme that would make drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro available for the standard NHS prescription charge of £9.90.
Speaking on GB News, Stephen said: “These fat-busting drugs could end up being as widely used as statins. Everyone’s going to be on them.
“I think everyone already is. I noticed when I was in the pharmacy the other day they had a poster up saying, ‘We’ve got this.’ They’ll jab you right there, apparently.
Stephen Dixon said “everyone is already on them”
GB NEWS
“Really? Presumably, you have to buy them from the pharmacy, and then they’ll administer the injection. I mean, blooming heck.
“Do you even need a prescription for them, or can you just buy them? I don’t think you can, can you?”
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Political commentator Duncan Barkes responded: “It’s quite interesting you can actually start to spot which MPs in Parliament are on these jabs. It’s the slimmest Parliament we’ve ever had. You could almost play ‘Fat Jab Bingo’ for entertainment.
“I’m torn on this. As someone who’s a bit chunky, I try to keep my weight down with exercise and avoiding junk food.
“We were talking about this earlier, my downfall is beer and cheese. If I cut back on beer and reduce the cheese, I can lose weight.
“The thing is, we don’t really know the long-term effects of these jabs.
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“Sure, it might be a quick fix, and it’s understandable that many people would want them. You could even argue they’re good for the NHS, by reducing obesity and easing pressure on services.
“But we still don’t fully know the outcomes. And more importantly, they don’t teach you anything about long-term nutrition or healthy habits.”
The initiative would allow people to obtain these medications after a brief consultation at high street chemists, health centres or through apps.
“People with resources are already buying them privately, but we know there are people from certain backgrounds who always miss out on this kind of support,” a government source told the Daily Mail.
Weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro offer significant health benefits
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The scheme aims to ensure “local pharmacies and trusted medical support organisations are involved in the roll-out from the very beginning.”
Currently, these powerful injections are available to only a small number of NHS patients following specialist consultations and in combination with other weight-loss methods. The NHS waiting list for access stretches to two years.
The proposed expansion represents a significant shift from current restrictions. Ministers plan to distribute prescriptions through “creative” methods, making the process quicker and more accessible. Once implemented, patients could walk into a pharmacy and leave with a supply of the injections after a brief assessment.
Private purchases of weight-loss jabs currently cost between £120 and £250 for a month’s supply through high street chemists or online pharmacies.
An estimated 500,000 people in Britain are using these medications, with many obtaining them privately.
Clinical trials have shown people losing between 15 and 20 per cent of their body weight, depending on the specific drug used.
